Bad light has the final say
by Ant Sims 19 January 2013, 16:22
Bad light had the last say on the third day of the Sunfoil Series clash between the Nashua Titans and the bizhub Highveld Lions at the BidVest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday as the visitors slumped to 115-8 before stumps were called early.
The Titans, who started the day on 23-0, collapsed spectacularly to end the third day still 188 runs behind the Lions' first-innings total of 303.
Pieter Malan and Jacques Rudolph eased to 42-0 in the first session, with the Titans still trailing by 261 in their first innings, but a blip of wickets was soon to follow.
Rudolph departed soon after the drinks break, clipping through to the keeper off Cliffe Deacon.
Henry Davids was then out for one as Zander de Bruyn removed his stumps, leaving the Titans wobbling a bit at 49-2.
Heino Kuhn and Malan managed to add just a few runs before play was disrupted by bad light and 10 overs were lost.
Malan didn't last long after play resumed, falling to De Bruyn after a failed attempt at a cover drive, edging through to Deacon in the slips.
Kuhn also failed to get going and he edged through to the slips off Deacon for 21 off 27 balls as the Titans slumped to 84-4.
The Titans’ woes continued when Mangaliso Mosehle was run out in the same over. Mosehle hit the ball straight to Bavuma at point and the non-striker, David Wiese, was too late in sending Mosehle back after he had taken off for a single.
Roelof van der Merwe then departed after facing just six balls, playing and missing as Deacon picked up his third.
The Pretoria outfit had lost four wickets for 17 runs and were in a heap of trouble at 91-6, still 212 runs adrift.
Wiese was the next to go as Hardus Viljoen picked up his first wicket, Wiese out for 14 off 20.
Three balls later, Shaun von Berg was bowled by Chris Morris, leaving the Titans in tatters on 103-8.
The Titans’ tail held on for a little while before bad light intervened again to force the players off the field.
With rain around and no prospect of improving light, the umpires had no choice but to call an end to proceedings early.
Report Day 1
Report Day 2
BIZHUB HIGHVELD LIONS: Stephen Cook, Dominic Hendricks (wk), Temba Bavuma, Neil McKenzie, Zander De Bruyn, Thami Tsolekile, Brett Pelser, Cliffe Deacon, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Imran Tahir.
NASHUA TITANS: Jacques Rudolph, Pieter Malan, Henry Davids, Heino Kuhn, Mangaliso Mosehle, David Wiese, Shaun Von Berg, Ehty Mbhalati, JP de Villiers, Rowan Richards, Roelof van der Merwe
